Protector mechanism for looms.



No. 68!,373. Patented Aug. 27,1901.

, L. m. PHELPS.

PROTECTOR MECHANISM FOR LUDMS.

[Application filed Jan. 3, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 68I,373. Patented Aug. 27,190l. L. M. PHELPS.

PROTECTOR MECHANISM FOR LOUMS.

Application filed Jan. 3, 1899.) (No Model.)

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No. 68l,373. I Patented Aug. 27, l90l,

L. m. PHELPS.

PROTECTOR MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

(Application filed Jan. 3, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD M. PHELPS, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO DRAPER- COMPANY, OF I-IOPEDALE, MAS- SACHUSETTS.

PROTECTOR MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

' SPECIFICATIQN forming part Of Letters Patent N 0. 681,373, dated August 27, 1901.

Application filed January 8, 1899. Serial No. 700,874. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEONARD M. PHELPS, of Pittsfield, county Berkshire, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Protector Mechanism for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention is an electric attachment or improvement in looms, having for its object the prevention of disaster from the improper placing or operation of the shuttles.

In the event of the weaver putting in two shuttles on the same level at the same time or of an improper operation of the box-motion by the breaking of the picker-stick on some classes of looms there occurs what is commonly termed a shuttle-smash in the loom. In accordance with my invention I have provided movable bearings for the whiproll,electrically controlled ,whereby the whiproll is automatically released and permitted to slide forward in such manner as to loosen the warps, so that there can be no strain produced thereon when the shuttle is beat into the fell of the cloth by the lay. In connection with this feature of my invention I provide protecting devices in the form of daggers in the electric circuit, which cooperate still further in rendering it impossible to have a shuttle-smash, these daggers operating, respectively, to stop the loom instantly just before the shuttle is thrown and in the backward beat of the lay when two shuttles are level with the race at the time the shuttle-boxes have reached their proper places and also in the forward movement of the lay if the shuttle fails to enter the box at the proper time.

My invention will be more particularly set forth in its details in the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, and the latter will be more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in vertical longitudinal section on line a; m, Fig. 3, sufficient portions of a usual loom to enable my invention to be shown applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View of the electrical connections. Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 4. is a fragmentary bottom plan view of parts thereof. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view showing the lay in front elevation. Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail in front elevation, showing the shipperhaudle and connections to the breast-beam.

I do not intend to in any wise restrict my invention to any particular variety of loom, inasmuch as my invention is applicable to various kinds of looms, and I have herein shown it applied to a usual loom merely for the purposes of illustration.

In the drawings I have shown a frame at having a breast-beam a, lay a operated by a usual lay-shaft a connected therewith by arms a and whip-roll a The whip-roll a is shown as supported in opposite brackets a 0. the latter having an upwardly-extending rear arm a said whip-roll resting on the lower horizontal portions of the brackets and being normally held back by the dogs I) 1), fast on a rock-shaft b journaled in said brackets, and provided with any suitable electric tripping device. The latter is herein shown as comprising a link b pivoted at one end to the rear end of the dog I) and connected by a headed stud b at its other end to a plate 19 pivotally mounted at b on the arm a of the bracket. The headed stud b plays in a slot b of the plate 6 so that when the plate is up, as shown in full lines in Fig.

1, the dog I) will be held in looking position against the shaft of the whip-roll, whereas when the plate is down, as shown in dotted lines in said figure, the dog will be released .from engagement with the whip-roll.

' Any suitable releasing mechanism may be provided for the plate 19 that herein shown being a latch 6 pivoted at b and provided at its rear end with an armature b operated by an electromagnet Z9 in the main electric circuit of the loom. Preferably a spring 12 engages the link b tending to throw it off from the dead-center.

Any suitable source of electricity may be provided, a battery 0 being herein shown for convenience, from which feed-wires c 0 extend, said wires being herein shown as connected to the lay a at c 0 where I have mounted U-shaped clips at 01, having a long arm d and a short arm (1 normally held toward the lay by suitable means, as by a spring (1 The long arm 61 is in position, as herein shown, to be engaged by the shuttle-binders (t a" and according to the position of the latter the short arm is caused to engage either an inner or an outer contact spring or plate. (Shown at the right, Fig. 4, at d 61 respectively, and at the left at d 61 Cooperating with the parts mentioned I provide daggers e 0', shown as pivotally mountedin a box e on the under side of the lay, said box also carrying electromagnets e c to operate the daggers at suitable times, herein shown as whenever the circuit is closed. The dagger c has a hook 6 Figs. 1 and 3, to engage a hook e of a knock-off lever 6 pivoted at c to the breast-beam and engaging at its farther end a lever 6 pivoted at e to the breast-beam, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 3. The dagger e pushes against the lever e and causes the latter to engage the lever e at e and release the shipper-handle. The circuit of all the electromagnets is controlled, preferably, by the opening and closing of the binder-springs of the shuttle-boxes, as before explained.

The ele'ctromagnet e is connected to the contact d by a wire 0 and when also properly connected to the contact 01 as presently described, it will be evident that when the opposite binders a a are closed by the absence of shuttles the circuit will be completed, thereby operating the dagger e to stop the loom; but as both binders are closed during the time that the shuttle is passing through the shed it is necessary to break this circuitjust before the shuttle leaves its box and reestablish the circuit about the time the shuttle is to enter the opposite box. To accomplish this, I employ a make-and-break device comprising a lever g, (best shown in Fig. 4,) pivoted at g to the under side of the lay and connected at its opposite end to an arm g fixed to the breast-beam. This lever ghasa contact 9 adapted to contact with a spring g on the lay, said spring being connected by a wire 0 with the magnet e and said contact g being connected by wires 0 to the contact device d Thus by proper adjustment of the contact-spring 9 when the lay is approximately one-third of its way coming forward, this being about the time the shuttle is supposed to enter the box, the circuit will be made and will be broken when the lay is about two-thirds of its way on its backward heat, which is just about the time the shuttle starts to leave the box again. Consequently if for any reason the shuttle is delayed, so that it does not enter the box and thus break connections there before contact is made at g the circuit will thus be made complete, and thereby effect the sliding forward of the whip-roll and at the same time will put the protecting-dagger e in position to strike the knock-0d device of the shipper-lever. Likewise I connect the electromagnet c by a wire 0 with the outside contact 01 and by a wire 0 with a spring g similar to the spring g the lever g being also provided with a contact 9 similar to the contact 9 and this is connected by a wire 0 with the opposite contact-plate d, the result being that the circuit will be completed by the outward movement of the binders a a caused by putting in two shuttles at the same time.

On some classes of loomse. 9., having drop-boxes on each side-=the dropping of one box and the raising of the other at the same time often causes two full boxes to be passing the arms (1 at the same time, and accordingly in such looms I provide the contacts g g", above explained, to break the cir cuit just about the time the boxes start to change positions and reestablish the circuit about the time the boxes are supposed to be near their places, the result being that if two shuttles are put in or if the shuttles are put in wrong, so that when boxes change two full boxes are put level with the race, the circuit will be complete, when the contacts 9 g" will engage, and in consequence thereof the whiproll will be released, and the hooked dagger e will engage the knock-off lever e and release the shipper-handle, the same as before, and stop the loom instantly before the shuttles are thrown.

The mechanism thus far described will operate in all cases, provided the loom is in first-class running order; but inasmuch as the daggers e c are frequently liable to stick on account of the weaver forgetting to keep them oiled (and many weavers are careless in this respect) I find it advisable to provide a connection between the whip'roll and the shipper-lever, so that the shipper-lever will be actuated by the automatic releasing of the whip-roll, even though the daggers should .refuse to operate at the proper time.

On the end of the shaft 19 I provide a crank 19, which is connected by a wire or rod b with a lever b pivoted at b", preferably to the frame of the loom, and bent or provided at its upper end with a portion 6 in position to engage the shipper-lever s and release the same upon depression of the dogs I) I), being operated, preferably, by a spring b Thus the loom will be stopped any way when the lay is about one-third of its way forward (by the contacting of the parts g y) if anything is wrong, as above explained, said contacts maintaining the circuit until the lay beats forward and about two thirds back again, whereupon contact is broken at g 9 while in like manner the contacts g 9 make the circuit when the lay is about one-third backward and maintain this circuit until the lay gets to the same point coming forward again, these contacts breaking the circuit when the shuttle-boxes start to change positions and making the circuit when the boxes'are near their proper places. The hook e of the knockoff lever extends toward the lay far enough not to be engaged by the dagger 6 until the lay is about one-third of its way on its backward beat.

A further feature of my invention resides in preventing the circuit from being closed by the closing of the binders when the weaver is changing shuttles. To accomplish this, I have provided a make-and-break device to be operated by the shipper-handle, connection being made when the shipper-handle is drawn toward its notch and broken when it gets to the extent of its slot. This arrangement is shown best in Fig. 6, where it will be seen that I provide contacts h h in the main circuit, being herein shown in the wire 0, Fig. 2, and so placed that they are in contact only when the shipper-handle is in its inner position or in engagement or adjacent to its holding-notch, a further advantage of this fea ture of the invention being that it prevents the battery from becoming exhausted while the loom is stopped should the weaver leave his shuttles out of the boxes.

It will be understood that all the various contacts mentioned are properly insulated from the frame of the loom and that all the parts are properly housed and concealed, and that while I have herein shown a preferred embodiment of my invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to understand and construct the same, yet I am not limited thereto, and that the mechanical embodiment of the invention will be changed to suit the kind of loom, and in large looms instead of a single knock-off lever, for example, there may be two, one at each end of the breast-beam.

A considerable advantage of my construction is that the operating parts thereof are in compact arrangement, so that they may be conveniently protected by a simple housing from the lint and fly-Waste of the loom.

In operation the circuit is broken at g g just as the shuttle leaves its box; but if the shuttle does not reach the opposite side of the shed when it should the result is that both binders a a remain closed, thereby maintaining the contacts 01 d in circuit through the wires 0 0, so that when the lay gets started on its forward beat the circuit is completed the moment the contacts g 9 come together,

and instantly upon the completion of the circuit the dagger e is drawn up into position to engage the knock-ofi lever e and unship the lever s, stopping the loom instantly. Meanwhile this closing of the circuit has simultaneously operated the latch 17 to release the plate 6 permitting the spring 6 to swing said plate and link 12 around, so as to drop the dogs I) b from engagement with the whiproll, so that the latter is left free to slide forward and loosen the warp-threads, so that it is impossible for a shuttle smash to occur. Likewise if inadvertently two shuttles are put on a level with the race the loom will be stopped even before these shuttles'are driven forward, the same result taking place if the picker-stick should be broken, so that they could not be driven forward, the circuit being completed through the wires 0 c c 0 0 it being understood that the binders d 01 then hold the arms d outward in contact with the outer plates d 61 In each of these instances the lever g is caused to swing in an opposite direction to the movement of the lay by its fixed connection at g so that it breaks the circuit at such times as the shuttle or shuttle-boxes should properly be moving and makes the circuit only at such time as the shuttle should have arrived at its destination and the shuttle-boxes should have reached their proper position, and While the loom is stopped the shifting of the shipperhandle automatically breaks the circuit through the connections shown in Fig. 5.

In case the weaver should have neglected to oil the bearings of the daggers or if for any other reason the daggers should fail to respond to the energized electromagnet all danger of a shuttle smash will, however, be ab solutely precluded by reason of the operation of the whip-roll knock-off devices, as already fully explainedlVhile I have herein shown and described my invention in the preferred details of one embodiment thereof, I wishit understood that I am not restricted thereto, but that many changes may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my invention. I

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a loom, a movably-mounted whip-roll,

a dog disposed normally in the path of and to I directly engage the whip-roll to restrain the free movement thereof, and means automatically operable by one of the parts of the loom to effect the movement of said dog out of the path of movement of the whip-roll.

2. In a loom, a movably-mounted whip-roll, a dog disposed normally in the path of and to directly engage the whip-roll, and electricallycontrolled means governed by one of the parts of the loom for effecting the movement of said dog out of the path of movement of the whiproll.

3. In a loom, a movably-mounted whip-roll, a dog disposed normally in the path of and to directly engage the whip-roll, means automatically operable by one of the parts of the loom to effect the movement of the dog out of the path of the whip-roll, thereby to release the same, a shipper-lever,and connect-ions other than said means between the shipper-lever means controlled by a moving member of the loom for automatically tripping said latch.

5. In a loom, a lay and its shuttle-boxes, a whip-roll movably mounted, a dog located to engage and hold the movably-mounted roll in its normal position, an electric circuit, a knock-oil lever and said dog controlled by said circuit, means governed by theimproper placing of the shuttle relatively to said boxes, for closing the circuit thereby to efiect the release of the said dog and whip-roll and the knock-0E lever, and means cooperative with said dog for also controlling the action of said knock-0E lever.

6. In aloom, a lay, shuttle-binders, and an electric circuit,make-and-break devices therein operable by said shuttlebinders, a dagger, an electromagnet controlling the same, said electromagnet being operated by said make- -and-break devices, connections between said dagger and the stopping mechanism of the loom whereby by said operation of the dagger, the loom is automatically stopped, a movably-mounted whip-roll, a dog located to normally engage and hold the whip-roll in its backward position, means governed by said electric circuit for securing the dog in its effective position, and operative connections between the dog and the stop mechanism.

7 In a loom, a lay, shuttle-binders, an electric circuit, make-and-break devices therein operated by said shuttle-binders, two daggers, electromagnets for controlling the same, said electromaguets being operated by said makeand-break devices, and means adapted to be operated by said daggers to act upon the stopping mechanism of the loom, whereby upon operation of one of said daggers the loom is automatically stopped on the forward movement of the lay, and upon operation of the other of said daggers the loom is stopped on the backward movement of the lay, substantially as described 8. In aloom; alay; shifting or drop shuttleboxes; shuttle-binders; a whip-roll; means, including dogs, normally maintaining said whip-roll in back position, a trip for said dogs; an electric circuit, having make-and maintaining said whip-roll in backward posi tion; electrical means for tripping said dogs when the loom works improperly, a shipperlever, and mechanical connections independent of said means and between said dogs and said shipper-lever, whereby the tripping of said dogs automatically operates said shipper-lever to stop the loom, substantially as described.

10. In a loom, a lay and its shuttle-boxes,- an electric circuit including an electr0magnet, a knock-oft leveroperated by said electromagnet, devices for rendering the electromagnet operative to stop the loom when a shuttle fails to box, and a make-and-break device independent of the shuttle and means to operate it to suspend the operative connection of said devices during the passage of a shuttle between the boxes.

11. In a loom, a lay, shifting shuttle-boxes, an electric circuit including an electromagnet, a knock-oft lever operated through said electromagnet devices to render the electromagnet operative to stop the loom when a shuttle is in each box on a level with the race, and means to suspend the operative connection of said devices during the time the shuttle-boxes are being changed.

12. In a loom, a lay and its shuttle-boxes, an electric circuit including an electromagnet, stopping means operated by said electromagnet on an improper position of a shuttle, and a make-and-break device operative by movement of the lay to render the electromagnet inoperative during a portion of the movement of the lay.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEONARD M. PHELPS.

Witnesses:

THOMAS J. COUGHLIN, CHARLES ORERAN. 

